Education

Two Johns Hopkins University professors — a physician who champions scientifically rigorous, common-sense approaches to improving patient safety and an astrophysicist who was a leader in the discovery of the universe's "dark energy" — were named today as winners of MacArthur Fellowships, the so-called "genius grants.

High-level AAAS officials on a fact-finding trip to Rwanda pledged that the association would provide science education resources to support the Central African nation as it pursues an ambitious long-term education and development plan.

Whether you find them cute or repulsive, hairless breeds of dogs certainly stand out. Now, researchers say they've identified an important scientific use for them: They have identified the specific gene that is responsible for the dogs' skimpy coats, and the discovery should shed new light on how animals' bodies develop over time.

Reading comic books in science class used to mean that students weren’t paying attention. But at a conference co-sponsored by AAAS and the National Science Foundation (NSF), Jay Hosler, an assistant professor of biology at Juniata College in Huntington, Penn., showed how he transformed a medium once used only to tell the stories of superheroes and goofy teenagers into a resource engaging students with science.